| You may have heard in the media about the latest | | | | Sounds bad, but what can we do about it, after the |
| study about childhood obesity. In the press it was | | | | latest news? |
| reported that childhood obesity is caused 77% by | | | | Fortunately, the media story is not the whole story. If |
| genetic makeup and only 23% by lifestyle and | | | | you read the paper it's based on, it's not as dire as you |
| environmental factors. Newspapers love these Nature | | | | might think. The Introduction starts by pointing out that |
| vs. Nurture arguments as they can fill their pages with | | | | genetically humans have not changed in the last 15 |
| endless pontificating and claim it's based on fact. | | | | years, during which the 'dramatic rise in childhood |
| Is this latest story good news? After all, if kids are | | | | obesity' has taken place. So the increase is obesity is |
| getting fatter because of their genes, the same must | | | | clearly due to the change in lifestyle and environment |
| be true for us too. Therefore, our increasing obesity is | | | | experienced by children today compared with their |
| beyond our control and we can wallow in our comfy | | | | predecessors. The study just highlights the fact that |
| armchairs and eat snacks with alacrity. Great, huh? | | | | some people are more genetically predisposed to gain |
| On the other hand, you may think that it's bad news. If | | | | weight than others. So it's harder for some people to |
| our weight is beyond our control, then we just have to | | | | keep their weight down than others. |
| accept that we'll keep on getting fatter and fatter. As | | | | However, the root cause of being overweight is the |
| a result, not only will we need to go out and keep on | | | | same as it's always been. Consuming too much |
| buying bigger and bigger armchairs, but also we'll be | | | | energy from our food and doing too little exercise to |
| condemned to a lifetime of ill health. Obesity may | | | | use it up. The Discussion part of the study points out |
| seem harmless enough, but when you investigate its | | | | that reducing the prevalence of obesity 'will require at |
| health implications you realize just how bad it is. Try | | | | least as much emphasis on creating healthier external |
| these examples for size: | | | | environments and teaching vulnerable persons to |
| | | | adopt life-long prudent habits as on encouraging |
| 1. Young people that have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of | | | | parents to modify home settings.' Put another way, we |
| 35 or more have double the risk of death compared | | | | (you, me and the Government) must all create |
| with people the same age that have a normal BMI. | | | | healthier environments by increasing the amount of |
| 2. Obese people are much more likely than 'normal' | | | | exercise we take, and reducing our intake of poor |
| weight people to suffer from high blood pressure and | | | | diets. |
| other cardiovascular problems, increasing the likelihood | | | | That may sound like bad news. But try looking at it this |
| of dying prematurely due to Myocardial Infarction | | | | way. All it actually means is that we can affect our |
| (heart attack) enormously - 1.5 times the normal risk | | | | weight, and as a result affect our health and even our |
| for men and 3.2 times the normal risk for women. | | | | longevity. We can take control simply by eating more |
| 3. Being obese has been shown to greatly increase | | | | healthily and doing more exercise. Sure, some people |
| the risk of contracting many forms of cancer, including | | | | will find it easier than others. So what? Life's like that. |
| cancer of the colon - 3.0 times the risk for men and | | | | Some people have it easy, some have it harder. The |
| 2.7 times the risk for women, compared with | | | | fact is everyone CAN do something about it. |
| non-obese people. | | | | Everyone has the capability to transform their life, |
| 4. Obesity greatly increases the risk of contracting | | | | reduce their risk of premature death, and live more |
| Type 2 Diabetes - by 5.2 times for men and a | | | | healthily. Contrary to news reports, this study just |
| massive 12.7 times for women. | | | | confirms it. And that's the best news you can get - |
| These all came from Statistics on Obesity, Physical | | | | you may be prone to gaining weight and suffering the |
| Activity and Diet: England, January 2008, published by | | | | health consequences, but you can do something about |
| the NHS | | | | it. That's what I call empowerment. |